EDH Optimizer
Karn, Argent Defender
Legendary Artifact Creature — Golem · 2
Color identity: Colorless
Karn, Argent Defender is colorless: its deck can only run colorless cards (artifacts, Eldrazi and colorless lands).
Rules text:
Artifacts and creatures entering the battlefield don't cause abilities to trigger.
Reference price of the card: €1.07
Average lands in decks for Karn, Argent Defender: 35
ArtifactsStaxComboLand DestructionPrisonRampToolboxTron
Build your Karn, Argent Defender deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Karn, Argent Defender 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Karn, Argent Defender deck starts over 4,000 games
The list people actually play per EDHREC (the 99 most-included cards, with its average land count), simulated with the EDH Optimizer engine: hands, mulligans, lands, curve and commander. It does not model opponents; it measures whether the plan gets going.
Deck health of the average list: C+ (64/100)
- Consistency53
- Speed61
- Interaction66
- Resilience88
- Closing59
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 10 Wastes)
Sol Ring · Thran Dynamo · All Is Dust · Forsaken Monument · Foundry Inspector · Karn, the Great Creator · Mystic Forge · Null Elemental Blast · Ugin, the Ineffable · Mind Stone · Grafdigger's Cage · Palladium Myr · Soulless Jailer · Unwinding Clock · Basalt Monolith · Liberator, Urza's Battlethopter · Ultima, Origin of Oblivion · Echoes of Eternity · Glaring Fleshraker · Karn, Legacy Reforged · Warping Wail · Thought Vessel · Ugin, Eye of the Storms · Defense Grid · God-Pharaoh's Statue · Manifold Key · Phyrexian Dreadnought · Blightsteel Colossus · Jhoira's Familiar · Kozilek's Command · Sensei's Divining Top · Clock of Omens · Metalworker · Everflowing Chalice · Hedron Archive · Lightning Greaves · The One Ring · Worn Powerstone · Cloud Key · Eater of Days · Lodestone Golem · Void Winnower · Ward of Bones · Chimil, the Inner Sun · Darksteel Forge · Trinisphere · Walking Ballista · Wandering Archaic // Explore the Vastlands · Winter Orb · Eldritch Immunity · Kuldotha Forgemaster · Mana Vault · Mycosynth Lattice · Vexing Bauble · Expedition Map · Platinum Angel · Torpor Orb · Kozilek, Butcher of Truth · Sculpting Steel · Skittering Cicada · Staff of Domination · Voltaic Key · Moonsilver Key · The Walls of Ba Sing Se · Urza's Mine · Urza's Tower · Urza's Power Plant · Inventors' Fair · Urza's Workshop · Urza's Cave · Urza's Saga · War Room · Darksteel Citadel · Scavenger Grounds · Buried Ruin · Ancient Tomb · Shrine of the Forsaken Gods · Deserted Temple · Fomori Vault · The Mycosynth Gardens · Vesuva · Crystal Vein · Eldrazi Temple · Reliquary Tower · Rogue's Passage · Zhalfirin Void · Planar Nexus · Arcane Lighthouse · Sanctum of Ugin
🃏 Recommended cards for Karn, Argent Defender
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Karn, Argent Defender, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Grafdigger's Cage | 61% | +58% |
| Soulless Jailer | 59% | +57% |
| Karn, the Great Creator | 70% | +55% |
| Phyrexian Dreadnought | 50% | +50% |
| Defense Grid | 50% | +46% |
| God-Pharaoh's Statue | 50% | +43% |
| Eater of Days | 43% | +43% |
| Ward of Bones | 43% | +41% |
| Karn, Legacy Reforged | 56% | +39% |
| Trinisphere | 41% | +39% |
| Winter Orb | 41% | +39% |
| Vexing Bauble | 39% | +35% |
| Inventors' Fair | 80% | +35% |
| Lodestone Golem | 43% | +33% |
| Torpor Orb | 37% | +33% |
| Mycosynth Lattice | 39% | +32% |
| Clock of Omens | 46% | +32% |
| Leveler | 30% | +30% |
| Fomori Vault | 46% | +28% |
| Weathered Runestone | 30% | +28% |
| Metalworker | 46% | +28% |
| Sphere of Resistance | 28% | +27% |
| Vesuva | 46% | +26% |
| Urza's Saga | 69% | +26% |
💰 The best cards for your Karn, Argent Defender deck, by budget
Three tiers based on the maximum price PER CARD you are willing to pay. Paste your list and hit Optimize: you pick that cap and the AI only suggests swaps that fit under it.
Tier 1 · Budget up to €2/card
The most value for almost nothing. Coming from a precon? Start here.
- Soulless Jailer
- God-Pharaoh's Statue
- Eater of Days
- Vexing Bauble
- Lodestone Golem
- Leveler
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Grafdigger's Cage
- Karn, the Great Creator
- Defense Grid
- Ward of Bones
- Winter Orb
- Torpor Orb
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Phyrexian Dreadnought
- Karn, Legacy Reforged
- Trinisphere
- Inventors' Fair
- Mycosynth Lattice
- Metalworker
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Karn, Argent Defender
- Basalt Monolith + Forsaken Monument → Infinite colorless mana
- Sensei's Divining Top + Foundry Inspector + Mystic Forge → Infinite card draw, Near-infinite storm count, Infinite draw triggers
- Rings of Brighthearth + Basalt Monolith → Infinite colorless mana
- Sensei's Divining Top + Mystic Forge + Cloud Key → Infinite card draw, Near-infinite storm count, Infinite draw triggers
- Scrap Trawler + Myr Retriever + Krark-Clan Ironworks + Foundry Inspector → Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact LTB, Infinite artifact sacrifice triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
- Sensei's Divining Top + Glaring Fleshraker + Mystic Forge → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite storm count, Near-infinite damage, Near-infinite creature ETB, Near-infinite creature LTB, Near-infinite death triggers, Near-infinite creature sacrifice triggers
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Karn, Argent Defender's color identity?
Karn, Argent Defender is colorless: its deck can only run colorless cards (artifacts, Eldrazi and colorless lands). Color identity comes from every mana symbol on the card, including those in the rules text, not just the casting cost.
What turn does Karn, Argent Defender come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Karn, Argent Defender deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 1.8 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 100 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 10 % of the time and floods 26 %. Deck health: C+ (64/100).
How many lands should a Karn, Argent Defender deck run?
Real Karn, Argent Defender decks run 35 lands on average. That is a starting point, not a rule: a lower curve can shave one or two, big-mana builds want more. The EDH Optimizer simulator tells you, over 10,000 games, how often you get mana screwed or flooded with your exact count.
What are the best cards for Karn, Argent Defender?
The three highest-synergy cards are Grafdigger's Cage, Soulless Jailer, Karn, the Great Creator. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Karn, Argent Defender decks.
What combos does Karn, Argent Defender have?
Karn, Argent Defender has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Basalt Monolith + Forsaken Monument. Note that two-card combos raise your deck's bracket, so it is worth knowing which ones you are running before you sit down.
How much does a Karn, Argent Defender deck cost?
You can start cheap: Soulless Jailer, God-Pharaoh's Statue, Eater of Days are under €2 each. The "Level up" section on this page splits the best cards into three price caps PER CARD (up to €2, up to €10 and no cap), and the optimizer only suggests swaps that fit the cap you pick.